Communication Skills Program for Healthcare Providers

Overseen By Hsien Seow, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: McMaster University

Disqualifiers: Non-healthcare workers

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to improve how healthcare providers communicate with patients and families about serious illnesses. It tests whether the All Providers Better Communication Skills Program (ABCs), which includes online lessons and virtual workshops, can increase providers' confidence and satisfaction during these challenging conversations. The goal is to enable more providers to initiate palliative care (supportive care for serious illness) early. The trial seeks healthcare workers, such as doctors, nurses, and care coordinators, to participate. As an unphased trial, this study offers healthcare workers the chance to enhance their communication skills, ultimately benefiting patient care.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What prior data suggests that this program is safe for healthcare providers?

Research has shown that effective communication by healthcare providers leads to higher patient satisfaction and improved health outcomes. The ABCs program serves as a training tool to enhance these communication skills. Unlike drugs or surgery, it is not a physical treatment, so it poses no safety concerns such as side effects. Instead, it equips healthcare providers to engage in meaningful conversations with patients and their families. The goal is to make these discussions more effective and supportive. Participants in the program learn through online modules and interactive workshops. This training is safe and aims to empower providers to better assist those with serious illnesses. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the All Providers Better Communication Skills Program (ABCs) because it aims to enhance communication skills among healthcare providers, a critical aspect that is often overlooked in traditional medical training. While existing standards focus on clinical skills and procedures, the ABCs program specifically targets interpersonal communication, which can significantly improve patient outcomes and satisfaction. The unique feature of this program is its comprehensive educational approach, which equips providers with the tools to communicate more effectively with patients, potentially leading to better patient engagement and adherence to treatment plans.

What evidence suggests that the ABCs program is effective for improving communication skills in healthcare providers?

Research has shown that the ABCs (All Providers Better Communication Skills) program greatly improves healthcare providers' communication. In this trial, some participants will receive the full ABCs education program, which studies have shown helps providers develop essential skills for talking with seriously ill patients and their families. The program focuses on key communication techniques, such as listening and offering support. By building these skills, the ABCs program aims to boost providers' confidence and satisfaction during difficult conversations. This can lead to earlier and more effective discussions about palliative care, benefiting both patients and their families. ^{4 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Hsien Seow, PhD

Principal Investigator

McMaster University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

The ABCs program is for healthcare providers who want to improve their communication skills with patients living with serious illnesses. It's designed for clinicians at all stages of their careers. Providers must be willing to participate in online modules and virtual workshops.

Inclusion Criteria

All individuals that work in a health care provision capacity including health care professionals, care coordinators and administrators are eligible to enroll and participate in the ABCs study.

Exclusion Criteria

Individuals, including patients, that do not work in a health care provision capacity.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Control Phase

Participants in the control group do not receive the ABCs education program initially

4 months

Intervention Phase

Participants receive the full ABCs education program, including online modules and interactive virtual workshops

4 months

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in communication skills and competency post-intervention

6 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• All Providers Better Communication Skills Program (ABCs)

Trial Overview This trial tests the 'ABCs' education intervention against no training, aiming to enhance provider competency in serious illness conversations. Participants will receive training on how to better engage with patients about difficult topics from diagnosis through end-of-life care.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Intervention Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Full ABCs education program

Group II: Control Active Control 1 Intervention

No ABCs education program

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

McMaster University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

936

Recruited

2,630,000+

Health Canada

Collaborator

Trials

36

Recruited

38,700+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The Children's Hospitals' Solutions for Patient Safety developed a standardized disclosure process and training curriculum to help healthcare providers communicate adverse events to patients and families more effectively, involving a project team from 9 hospitals.

A pilot program at one hospital trained 48 healthcare professionals, resulting in a significant improvement in competency scores from 82.7% to 90.2%, with 100% of participants agreeing that the training enhanced their skills and patient outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Disclosure of Adverse Events: A Guide for Clinicians. Peterson, KA., Rutherford, M., Drvol, D., et al.[2022]

The structured communication training program for medical students, consisting of four interactive lab sessions, significantly enhances their skills in patient-physician communication, which is crucial for improving patient satisfaction and treatment compliance.

Students reported increased confidence and understanding of their roles as future physicians after participating in the program, indicating that such training effectively prepares them for real patient interactions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Teaching communication skills: a skills-based approach. Wagner, PJ., Lentz, L., Heslop, SD.[2022]

A review of 23 studies highlighted that healthcare professionals face challenges in effectively disclosing adverse events, indicating a need for better communication strategies and training.

Implementing specific interpersonal communication skills and fostering an open organizational culture can help healthcare professionals provide more effective and tailored disclosures to patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Disclosing Adverse Events in Clinical Practice: The Delicate Act of Being Open. Myren, BJ., de Hullu, JA., Bastiaans, S., et al.[2022]

Patients' reactions to the disclosure of rare adverse events (AEs) vary significantly based on gender and ethnicity, with non-White men perceiving a higher risk of developing AEs compared to White men.

White women expressed more worry and a lower willingness to take medications associated with rare AEs, indicating that tailored communication strategies may be necessary to address these differences in risk perception.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Patients' reaction to the disclosure of rare dreaded adverse events. Fraenkel, L., Peters, E.[2021]

A provider communication skills training (CST) program that included in-person coaching significantly improved patient satisfaction scores, increasing from 73.9% to 79.5% after the program.

The addition of coaching helped reinforce skills learned in CST workshops, leading to greater confidence among healthcare providers in applying these skills in clinical practice.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Individualized coaching in health system-wide provider communication training. Pedersen, K., Brennan, TMH., Nance, AD., et al.[2021]

A significant number of adverse drug events (ADE) are linked to systemic factors, such as poor equipment design and inadequate staff scheduling, highlighting the need for improvements in healthcare systems.

The workshop identified key areas for action, including better data collection on ADE, improved communication among healthcare professionals, and enhanced information sharing with consumers to reduce the risks associated with ADE.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Towards system-wide strategies for reducing adverse drug events. Clark, RB., Graham, JD., Williamson, JA.[2019]

Citations

1. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06606470

All Providers Better Communication Skills Program' (ABCs) The 'All providers: Better Communication Skills program' (ABCs) is a virtual, person-centred education curriculum for interprofessional health care providers.

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11926845/

A mixed methods pilot study of a serious illness ... The ABCs (All Providers, Better Communication Skills) is a virtual curriculum that teaches core communication skills to facilitate conversations ...

3. ctv.veeva.com ctv.veeva.com/study/all-providers-better-communication-skills-program-abcs

All Providers Better Communication Skills Program' (ABCs) The ABCs program focuses on four essential elements of being a skillful communicator: principles of effective communication, conversation ...

4. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960977625006277

a global expert review and call-to-action for 2025–2035 ... This manuscript explores the global landscape of communication skills training, highlights remaining communication gaps, and assesses the ...

5. palliativecareinnovation.com palliativecareinnovation.com/abcs

ABCs | Palliativecare ABCs is a virtual education program that builds skill and strategies for listening to, talking with and supporting seriously ill patients and their loved ones.

6. surveys.mcmaster.ca surveys.mcmaster.ca/limesurvey/upload/surveys/221133/files/ABCs%20RCT%20ICF%20GYN%202025.pdf

All providers Better Communication Skills program' (ABCs) inter Through this study, we will conduct a rigorous evaluation of the ABCs program to assess the process and measure the effectiveness of this training for ...

7. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41132314/

Testing the ABCs of Serious Illness Program for Oncology ... ABCs (All providers, Better Communication skills) of serious illness communication is a novel curriculum that could enhance postgraduate ...

8. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/communication-skills-program-for-healthcare-providers-d6f51

Communication Skills Program for Healthcare Providers Research shows that good communication skills in healthcare providers can improve patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, and treatment compliance.

9. weoht.ca weoht.ca/newsroom-update/all-providers-better-communication-skills-abcs-for-seriously-ill-patients-and-loved-ones/

All Providers Better Communication Skills (ABC's) for ... The ABCs program provides you with practical tools, tips and strategies to improve your communication skills when communicating with seriously ill patients and ...